BY ADA EZEH
It was a black Christmas day for some communities in Bokkos, Mangu and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State as rampaging gunmen, in simultaneous attack, killed no fewer than 60 people.
Many people were also injured and hundreds displaced as the marauders ran through Dares Mandar, Butura in Bokkos and parts of Batkin Ladi local government areas, ransacking 27 villages.
The latest killing came after 16 people were killed last Saturday night in Mangu. Although a netizen, who is resident in Bokkos, Makut Alfred Mashat, claimed that over 70 people were killed, with his family losing seven members, the state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, yesterday, said at least 50 people were killed.
Mutfwang expressed dismay over the spate of attacks and wanton destruction of farmlands and other property by gunmen. He promised to adopt stringent measures in tackling insecurity in the state.
”From intelligence reports available to me, at least 50 people have been killed in Mangu and Bokkos in the last 48 hours. This is unacceptable. Enough is enough. These stupid, senseless and unprovoked acts must stop. However, no amount of attacks will break the spirit of Plateau people, we remain resolute and determined to progress as a people,” he said.
The governor thanked the troops for their unrelenting efforts in the fight against insecurity in the state and promised to support the military and other security agencies to secure the state.
”That way, we will prevent some hoodlums, who usually hide under the attacks, from perpetrating other crimes, such as cattle rustling, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and other crimes. We will also strengthen other security agencies to complement the efforts of the military in tackling insecurity in the state,” the governor said.
The Commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Maj.-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, said his troops had responded to the attacks.
Abubakar said: “In the last 48 hours, we have responded to 36 distress calls from different locations, simultaneously. As we speak, some of our men are in hospital due to the injuries sustained in attacks. But we are committed to ensuring that we put a stop to all criminal activities in Plateau,” he said.
It was gathered that the marauders attacked Butura Kampani, Fatamba, Fashar, Garau, Angwan No and Mbar communities in the Bokkos local government area, and Ruku, Hurum, Darwat, Mai Yanga Sabo, and NTV villages in Gashish and Ropp districts of Barkin Ladi local government area.
A security source said the attacks were carried out simultaneously in the communities at about 10pm, when the residents had retired to bed.
Transition Committee Chairmen, Bokkos local government area, Monday Kasa, who confirmed the attacks, said no fewer than 20 villages were attacked simultaneously in the council during the midnight raid, which lasted more than three hours.
She said, “The attack was a surprise to us; the villages and the communities were attacked at the same time, precisely between the hours of 10pm and 10am. The number of casualties was high, and, so far, we have picked over five bodies.
“As I am talking to you, we are still moving from one village to another, picking up the remains of those gruesomely killed by the terrorists. Those who escaped with injuries are presently receiving treatment at various hospitals and clinics, both within and outside the local government.”
Berom Youth Moulders, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rwang Tengwong, said no fewer than 20 people were equally killed on Christmas Eve in eight communities in the Barakin-Ladi local government area of the state.
It pointed out that nine people were killed at NTV, five at Mai Yanga Sabo, three at Darwat, and one at Hurun, adding that the act of terrorism led to the complete displacement of thousands of people, which not only demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life, but, also, seeks to undermine the peace and unity that are at the core of Nigerian values.
“On a day meant to celebrate love, compassion, and togetherness, the perpetrators of this dastardly act have brought untold agony, suffering, and grief to the affected communities and surrounding communities in Bokkos and Mangu local government areas.
“The onslaught, followed by the invasion of Mangu and Bokkos on December 23, 2023, claiming 22 people, explicitly depicts the mission of the marauders to consistently maim lives and mar the Yuletide; they have long planned that Plateau would be subjected to the “mother-of-all attacks” ever witnessed, which is currently being executed,” it said.
The BYM further urged the government to take immediate and decisive action to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety and security of all citizens, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
Mashat, who took to Facebook to bemoan the massacre in the communities, said “Black Christmas in Dares Mandar, Bokkos & part of B/Ladi -over 70 people killed – personally lost seven relatives. Bokkos has been raped bloody on Christmas Eve on a silent night of rampaging rave by herdsmen on innocent locals.
“On Christmas Eve, under the chilling watch of festive darkness, Bokkos LGA was violated. Not by familiar attacks of Fulani herdsmen, but by a new, hunger-driven desperation. In Dares Mandar, under the shadow of Angwan Church, and across Butura Land, marauding herdsmen, not shepherds, descended. No cattle rustled this time, no land disputes fuelled the flames. Instead, barns overflowing with harvest became targets, looted by those driven not only by territorial ambition, but by the gnawing emptiness of hunger.
“While festive carols echoed from churches, these desperate scavengers traded hymns for the crackle of burning houses. They took not livestock, but lifeblood: grains and foodstuffs, the fruits of months of toil under the sun, stolen in the cold silence of a holy night.
“This, beyond the usual Fulani herdsmen attacks, is a cry for understanding. It’s a grim warning of a new dimension to an ongoing tragedy. Security agencies must dig deep, not just into motives of land or clan, but into the festering wounds of poverty and desperation that breed such hunger.
“Justice for Bokkos demands not just retribution, but an end to the conditions that give birth such predators. It demands a recognition that this attack is not the symptom of an ethnic conflict, but the howl of a starving belly echoing through empty barns on Christmas Eve.
Frontline Reporters could not get reactions from the Media Information Officer, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) Captain Oya James, and the Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo. Both phones rang out unpicked.
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